Dr Lopez - Medicine Woman
by XenaLin
Summary: 'A little town called Lima in Ohio was searching for a doctor. She was tempted but didn't exactly know if she wanted to take that on all by herself. Besides, who came up with the name Lima for a town. Not to mentiont it was in Ohio. Not exactly known for the refine things in life.' Brittana is endgame. That is all.
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction

**Disclaimer:** **I own nothing but the plot and the original characters. **

Chapter 1.

1945

_'Hello. I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Santana Lopez, well actually it's doctor Santana Lopez. Yes, itis true, I am a doctor. A woman doctor. It's more common for a woman to be a doctor nowadays, I know, but back when I was young it was not. I had to fight to gain the respect of my town and the people living in and around it. Do you want to hear my story? Very well. Sit back and relax and let me take you on a journey, back to when the west was wild and indians roamed the countryside and white, red and black people were fighting constantly for the land and the right to be free. It is also a story of love, unconditional but untraditional love. A hidden love.'_

December 1885

Santana Lopez was a twentytwo year old woman living in the city of Boston. Her family was a minority. In fact, she did not know any other Hispanic families in the city. All her friends were white. So was the entire school of Boston Woman Medical College, and all her class friends. In fact her friends consisted of her class friends, and the occasional family friend. Her father was a doctor, and he had insisted at least one of his children would become one. Since there were no boys born into the Lopez family, he decided that his youngest daughter would become one. So he enrolled her in the Boston Woman Medical College and she loved it. She loved to study. To learn about the human body, and how to cure different medical conditions and to learn everything she could.

Her ability to handle patients with care and patience was fast growing famous. She knew exactly when to be kind and gentle and when to be firm and persuasive. She gained popularity by her fellow class friends, and when the graduation came with prom she was asked to accompany one doctor Jesse St James. He was a nice man, nice to look at and nice to chat with, and he was very polite and proper, yet he had a certain arrogance that came with confidence and talent. He was also quite a charmer and was not short of female company to any event. In fact, many women were honoured to be his company for any occasion. Santana knew this, yet she felt nothing towards him. He was nice and polite and did everything correct, yet Santana was not drawn towards him.

As the evening of prom arrived, doctor St James came to pick Santana up from her home in Boston, she almost dreaded the evening. She knew she should be lucky to have him at her side for the evening, and yet she couldn't be. It was mandatory to be there however, so she had no choice but to go. She sighed as the put on her coat and made sure her hair was properly done, and her dress wasn't wrinkled where it shouldn't be.  
Doctor St James were standing by the door, waiting for her to come with him. He smiled as he spotted her coming down the grand staircase.  
'Good evening doctor Lopez' he said, 'are you ready for the party?'  
She smiled back at him and nodded as she descended the staircase.  
'Yes, yes I am doctor St James.'  
'Please, call me Jesse' he said.  
She nodded, 'Alright, Jesse. If you call me Santana. ' She smiled. She hated titles, but it was necessary she behaved tonight. She could, and often did in her home, throw quite a fit and be really feisty. It was her latin blood.  
She sighed silently and took his extended, offered, left arm with her right hand and let herself be escorted out of the house and down to the waiting horsedrawn carriage. The driver waited at his seat.  
It was snowing as it was getting closer to Christmas, and it was really cold out. The driver looked like he was cold up where he was seated and Santana pitied the man, and the horse. The horse was a ragged, but well cared for chestnut gelding and he stood with his head low to try to get cover from the snow.  
She sighed again silently and entered the covered carriage followed by Jesse. The carriage was set in motion and they rolled slowly through the snowy streets of Boston. The sound of the horses's hooves were muffled by the snow, but it was audible enough to hear.

'So Santana, what do you want your field to be now that you have graduated?' Jesse asked, trying to evoke a conversation with the Hispanic woman.  
'I'm not sure yet' she replied, trying to uphold her politeness. 'I've been thinking about wanting to open my own practice, but seeing I'm a woman and latin at that, I doubt I would be able to. I refuse to give up though. I will find something for me.'

'I no doubt you will' he replied, smiling his sweet smile at her.  
Santana almost rolled her eyes at him. She knew she should be happy to have him by her side, but no matter how much he tried, no matter how much she tried, she just did not like him. He still hadn't done anything wrong, but she was just waiting for it. She got invitations from men pretty often, but she also knew what they were really after. Why would this man be any different?

Once again she sighed silently. She just wished the evening was over and done with so she could start working with her father the next day as he had promised her.

The carriage arrived at the ballroom where the party was being held. As they exited the covered carriage, the snow started to fall a little bit heavier and the couple hurried inside to get shelter from the snow and wind, and to get a bit warmer. It had been cold in the carriage as there were no windows nor doors to it. Jesse helped her down the the tiny step and onto the ground before they both hurried up the small set of stairs up to the entrance of the hall where the party was full on. As they entered, people were everywhere, and they all seemed to know Jesse in one way or another. Santana sighed once again silently as she noticed that she was being a little bit pushed aside from the lights that were on Jesse St James. She behaved though, and as their coats and hats were placed in the coatroom, Jesse offered her his arm once more and they entered the ballroom. It was huge, square shaped with one side covered by an orchestra and the other three walls were covered by small sections of tables and chairs for people to sit and rest once they've had enough of dancing for a while.

Santana followed Jesse into the room and accepted his invitation for dancing.

Her right hand in his left, and his right hand on her waist while her left hand on his right shoulder shouldn't feel so bad, but it did. To Santana. She kept the facade up, behaving like she should and in all honesty she did try to have fun with Jesse, so she kept up the smalltalk with him, or anyone else that might talk to her. She danced whenever he wanted, or if someone else occasionally asked her to dance. She really tried. She kept her smile up, drank moderately and danced all evening and well into the night, but she just could not muster up the feeling of joy and happiness in her. Deep down she knew why, but she couldn't admit it to herself. It was not alright. It just wasn't.

'So Santana, what do you think this patient suffers from?' her father asked her as he stood with her next to a bed in the hospital where he worked. He was also the co-owner of the hospital, which meant he worked alot. He had now helped Santana to get work in the hospital as well, as a doctor, now that she had her diploma.

Santana went through the symtoms in the patient's chart and quickly disovered that he suffered from a kidney infection.  
'That is correct' her father said, beaming proudly at her. She smiled back.  
She roamed the corridors with her father and doing rounds together with him to get into it as quickly as possible. She already loved the work, and she didn't mind that it was sometimes heavy or monotone. She was finally doing what she wanted to do, and she was still learning. Her skills when it came to calming a patient down were put to test everyday, and she was well liked by patients as well as staff, something she herself found odd. Even her father sometimes commented on it, as he knew how feisty she could be.

It was just after Christmas when she started working and now on New Years Eve, she was meant to have time off to attend to the family party they threw every year on this day. A way to reconnect with their friends they haven't seen throughout the year, as well as maybe tie some new friendship bonds. This year her father had invited Jesse St James to be her company for the evening. She had heard about it just the day before and she was not pleased with her father going behind her back like that but there was nothing she could do but obey her father.

She tried to find reasons not to attend the party, but her father and mother would hear nothing of it. She was going, and she was being acompanied by Jesse St James. He was a respectable young man in their eyes, and clearly a nice man for her.

As the party grew closer, Santana got more and more antsy and more and more irritated. The maid helped her to get dressed in one of her nicest dresses, she hated the corsets but she knew they were fashion and she was made to wear them.

When she was dressed, she went downstairs, only to find Jesse standing there below the staircase, waiting for her while chatting casually with her father. The party was about to start and the servants were ready to walk around with their trays of drinks and things to eat.  
As she descended she tried her best to keep the well-behaved facade up and she pasted a fake smile on her lips, hoping Jesse saw it as genuine. She knew her father would see right through her, but she could not muster up a real smile for the life of her at the sight of him.

The evening was long in Santana's eyes, but she tried to have fun once again. Jesse still had done nothing wrong, and yet she felt like she was being trampled in a room full of people where noone did anything to help her. She felt trapped with nowhere to run.  
Jesse was polite, dancing with her and asking her if she wanted something to drink or eat or even rest her feet for a bit every now and then. He was the perfect gentleman. Santana almost slapped herself for not being able to like him. It wasn't that hard, or rather shouldn't be this hard.  
'Santana, are you having fun?' Jesse asked after a few hours, she looked up at him and gave him her best, fake smile.  
'Of course I am, why shouldn't I be?' she asked, raising her brow as she looked him in the eyes.  
She was an excellent liar, she'd perfected the art over the last few years. Just like that she could just look anyone in the eye and tell them lies and make them believe they were true. She could do it to anyone and they believed her. Everyone, but her father. He could see the truth.  
'Just wondering if you are, that's all' he seemed to believe her and smiled his sickenly sweet smile that made Santana's stomach twitch, and not in a good way.  
'Of course' she said once more.  
'Another dance?' he asked her.  
She nodded. She was getting tired but this was required of her, and after all it was new years eve. She needed to get out of the hospital and books and all that and have some fun for a change. She knew that.  
As the dance drew to an end, she was escorted back to the table they had been sitting at, and Jesse lifted her hand to his lips, softly kissing the back of it before thanking her for the dance. She just nodded and smiled at him again, lifting a glass of water to her lips, sipping it.  
Jesse asked her mother for a dance while Santana rested for a couple of dances. Her feet were really starting to kill her, and all she wanted was to get her shoes off her feet, out of her dress and just lay down in bed and sleep.  
Time was getting closer to midnight though, and as the ball was ready to be dropped everyone stood up with a glass of wine or champagne ready to toast for the new year.  
Santana stood with her father, mother and Jesse as the countdown started. Jesse smiled at her, she smiled back as genuinely as she could muster.

Suddenly it was midnight and everyone was cheering and toasting and wishing each other Happy New Year. Santana sipped her glass of champagne and tried to look interested in all the well-wishes when all of a sudden her father just slumped down on the ground, the glass he was holding falling to the ground shattering into a million pieces.  
'Ricardo' her mother cried as he fell down.  
Santana and Jesse were both quick to her father's side and tried to figure out what was going on with her father. He was barely breathing so they loosened his tie and opened his shirt to give his airways some room.  
'Quick, we need to get him to the hospital' Jesse told the servants that hurried to get a carriage out for their master.

They arrived to the hospital, a servant having been sent in advance to set everything up so they could start working on doctor Lopez upon arrival.

Everything was ready for them, and doctors St James and Woodlea was working on doctor Lopez, after having shoved Santana out of the examination room. She was his daughter, there for it was inappropriate she was there with them.  
She waited outside, getting updates from a nurse every once in a while. Her mother and brother and sister were waiting with her in the waiting room. Hours went by and the sun had started to rise. Suddenly the door to the examination room opened and doctor St James came out. His face looked worn and tired as he wiped his hands on a rag he held in his hands.  
'So, what's going on?' Santana wanted to know as she got up at the sight of him.  
Doctor St James' facial expression was neutral so anything could've happened in there. Suddenly it fell and he shook his head slowly.

'I'm so sorry' was all he said.  
Santana felt it as her entire world came crashing down. Her father was the only thing that kept her going to med school, the only thing that kept her in the family. She wasn't that close to her siblings or her mother. They respected each other but there were no fondness or real caring between them, at all. What would she do now?  
She broke down in sobs on the chair she's been waiting on for hours. Jesse explained what happened to them, but Santana was the only one really understanding what he was saying, because he spoke in medical terms alot. He wasn't that good with patients, or with loved ones, and especially not breaking bad news to loved ones.  
Mrs Lopez and Santana's siblings were watching Jesse speak, but to them it sounded gibberish. They all looked to Santana for explanation. She tried to gather herself as much as she could before starting to explain terms they could grasp, leaving out the latin and medical terms and spoke more in English and as much in non-medical terms she could.  
'Mother, Santiago, Maria' she started, 'What Jesse is trying to say is that father died of a bleeding in the brain. They couldn't stop it. They went in and tried to drain the blood but it wasn't mendable. He died.'  
At the last words, they all broke down into tears, including Santana. Jesse stood there, amazed at what Santana had been able to do in so few words. It was sad news, but she was able to tell them what happened in terms they could understand. He could never do that. He almost got jealous of that ability. He watched them all cry, and walked up to Santana, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
'I'm really sorry' he spoke in a low voice. 'We did everything we could.' Santana nodded at his words, but they sent very little comfort to her.

A few days later the family was standing at the cemetary as the priest read what was usually read at funerals. People gave small speeches in memory of doctor Lopez. Santana stood there, not able to form sentences.  
At the wake later on, friends and co-workers and fellow students walked through the door to pay their respects to the family. Santana was quiet still, said very little and only spoke when spoken to. Her mother found it odd and she just asked her to get a hold of herself. They had to entertain their guests. Santana just looked at her with empty eyes.  
'Oh for heavens sake Santana. Just get a hold of yourself. We have guests that wants to pay their respect to your father. Let them. Don't be quiet.' Maribel told her daughter.  
'Yes mother' was the only words that came out of her mouth.  
'See, there's Jesse over there. Go talk to him. After all, he tried to save your father.'  
Santana flinched at her words. She almost burst out yelling at her mother that time, but didn't. She was quiet and did as she was told.  
'Hello Santana' Jesse greeted her as she walked up to him.  
'Hello' she said and tried to put on her fake smile for him. She didn't succeed very well.  
'Santana, it's alright to grieve. He was your father.' Jesse said in a low, soothing voice.  
She nodded but fought back the tears that had threatened to come for days now. She hadn't cried since that day at the hospital and vowed she wouldn't again.  
She was a strong, young woman, but yet she was weak. Noone knew her secret. Not even herself at this point. What would happen when the world found out?

A week later Santana saw an ad in a newspaper. A little town called Lima in Ohio was searching for a doctor. She was tempted but didn't exactly know if she wanted to take that on all by herself. Besides, who came up with the name Lima for a town. Not to mentiont it was in Ohio. Not exactly known for the refine things in life. The ones she was used to here in Boston.  
The thought lingered in her mind however, and she couldn't let it go. Maybe she was meant to go there. Maybe she would find what she was searching for there. She knew something was wrong, something was missing in her life, but she had no idea what it was. She just knew it was something. She laid awake all night trying to figure things out.  
The next morning she went to the post office and sent a telegram to the town, hoping they had a post office at least there. She was informed that they did.  
She went home after that and tried to come up with alternative ideas if she was denied it. She knew she couldn't live at home anymore. Her and her mother did not see end to end and she knew she had to leave.  
Noone knew of her plans, and she intended to keep it that way. She would tell them when and if she got a positive response from Lima. Not until then, and not until she was about to leave. She knew she would never hear the end of it if she told them what she was going to do.

_**A/N I know I have other stories to write, but I think I will focus on this one at this time. I hope you will like this story. Feel free to review. I love reviews. They help me write. Please no flames. ** _


	2. Chapter 2 - Arrival

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea to this story. Sadly. Oh, and the original characters of course.**

Chapter 2.

_Lima, Ohio 4 weeks later_

As the stage coach rolled into the small town, Santana looked out the window. The weather was grey and the sky was covered with rainclouds though it was not raining. The ground was very muddy and wet though so it must've been raining not too long ago.  
The air was cold but crisp and had a smell of fresh rain in it. She couldn't help but think how she was going to get up to dry land as she was getting off the stage coach. Turns out she couldn't. She had to get down into the mud, she clenched her jaw and bit down and just did it, ruining her black shoes as she did. Her luggage was handed down to one of the drivers and he put her bags on dry land before getting back up on the coach again, and they headed off again.  
Santana stood there in the mud, cold and lost and not knowing where to turn. Suddenly a strangely long-haired man in black clothes with a white collar walked by. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a thin body. His chin had a days shade but it was his hair that caught Santana's attention. It was long, very long but what she found really odd was the way it looked. It looked .. like he hadn't brushed or combed it for months, and it was like he had it braided in a very peculiar way. Just very strange.  
'Excuse me' she said as she tried to get his attention. She got it.  
'Yes miss? What can I do for you?' he replied with a mild voice.  
'I was looking for father Joseph' she said. 'I believe he's expecting me?'  
'I'm father Joseph' the man stated, 'or father Joe for short. I'm not sure I'm expcecting you miss' he then said, obviously trying to remember if he was indeed expecting her. 'I'm expecting a doctor Santiago Lopez though' he continued.  
'That would be me' she said with a slightly annoyed voice. 'I'm doctor Lopez, doctor Santana Lopez.'  
'Really? But you're a woman?' The man looked utterly confused.  
'Yes, is that a problem?'  
'Well, the people around here can be rough and a bit, how shall I put it, blunt towards new people, and getting a doctor in town was really hard to get through' the man explained, 'but a woman doctor is going to be a bit tougher.'  
'I'm up for the challenge' Santana said, her eyes flickering with her latin fire.  
'Follow me' he said and walked towards a house at the end of the street they were facing.

They walked through the mud, Santana trying to lift up her skirt so it wouldn't get too dirty, but it was too late for that and she finally just gave up trying to save it and just followed father Joe down the street towards the house. She could now see it had a sign over the entrance, 'Postal Office' it said. It looked primitive.

She frowned from the looks of it, and almost regretted coming here. She looked behind her, watching all the houses. Everything was so .. primitive. She wondered if there was a hotel in town or something, because she had no idea where she was going to spend the night.

'Good morning Rory' Father Joe greeted the young man behind the desk.  
'Mornin' Father' Rory greeted back and got up from his desk chair by the telegraph.

He was a very young man, and didn't look old enough to even be in charge of the postal office, but he must be at least 17 or 18 years old, Santana thought. He had blue eyes and blonde hair that bordered to being brown. He had a thin build, and his accent sounded Irish to Santana. She knew that accent as she had known a few people of Irish descent back in Boston.  
'Can I see that telegram again Rory? You know the one about the doctor coming?' Father Joe asked Rory as he smiled awkwardly towards Santana.  
'Of course Father, here you go' Rory said and handed him the telegram that had laid right there on the desk.  
Father Joe read it and it said 'doctor Santiago Lopez' and not 'doctor Santana Lopez'.  
'Now Rory, I know you're fairly new at this telegraph business so are you sure you got the name right of the doctor? Father Joe asked him.  
'I'm fairly certain Father' Rory replied, but looked a bit worried he might have messed up already. He had just gotten this job last week and he needed it.  
'Well as you can see, I'm not a man' Santana almost snapped at the Irish boy and Father Joe. 'Santiago is a man's name in case you don't know, and my name is Santana.'  
Father Joe scratched his head in confusion but decided that Santiago was indeed Santana, and that Rory somehow must have mixed up the letters.

'I'm really sorry miss Lopez' Father Joe said 'but I'm not sure this will work out well. For any of us.'  
'First of all, it's doctor Lopez. I'm a doctor. I have a diploma in case you want to see it. Second of all, I didn't come all this way just to be sent away again because you people in this town can't get used to the fact that I'm a woman doctor.' Santana's latin fire was once again fueled and she got worked up again.  
She was starting to cause a scene and people were stopping to see what it was all about as they were passing the Postal Office. Rory started to look scared behind the counter, and Father Joe was starting to falter. He noticed the people outside and tried to calm the situation down.  
'Okay doctor Lopez, okay. We can give it a go.'  
Santana calmed down and she listened to the priest talking.  
'First, we don't have a clinic for you so we have to start from scratch, also you need to board somewhere, and I know just the place. Follow me.'  
Father Joe thanked Rory, and then he left the Postal Office with Santana in tow. People outside got a first look of their new doctor, even though they didn't know it yet. Some had heard Father Joe say 'doctor' but they thought he was joking or something. He couldn't be serious, a woman doctor? People were looking at each other in disbelief.

Father Joe talked while he walked and Santana listened as he described the town and its people, how alot of people lived around the town on their farms, which would require for her to make house calls mostly, at least to begin with. Santana nodded, agreeing. That would be a first for her but she loved a challenge and she wasn't backing down easy. This town would be her new home, for how long she didn't know but she was damned to make it work. She didn't want to go back to Boston as a failure. She had to prove something. To herself and to her mother. She wouldn't have it any other way. She wasn't latina for nothing.

Santana listened to Father Joe's description of some of the town folks. She learned about Sam the Barber. She learned about Puck the barkeeper. She learned about Finn and Rachel, the shop keepers. She even learned a little bit about Rory, the Postal Office kid. She also got to hear a little something about a certain blonde. A reputation. It was mesmerising at the same time daunting.  
She continued to listen to Father Joe, and occasionally she threw in some questions that he happily answered for her. As they were walking, they passed the small cemetary. In the cemetary a person was standing by a tombstone. The person was blonde, wearing clothes that looked like they were made from animal skin and a hat. She could only see the back of the person, but the clothes made her curious.  
Finally after a few minutes walk down the street in a slow march, they reached the boarding house. It was run by a woman named Susan Smith.  
'Hello mrs Smith' he greeted the woman when she opened the door for them.  
'Oh hello Father Joe' she smiled a genuine smile up at him. 'How can I help you?'  
'Oh forgive me. This is miss Santana Lopez, oh forgive me, doctor Santana Lopez, and she needs a place to stay.' Father Joe introduced Santana to Susan.  
'Oh a woman doctor? That's amazing' Susan almost gasped out of joy.  
Santana genuinely smiled at the other woman, she seemed to at least be happy to see her in spite of her being a woman and a doctor.  
'Yeah' Santana nodded. 'I'm a doctor. And a woman.' She was so tired of this. Having to do the same thing over and over again. Though this woman seemed like a warm, genuine person so she couldn't do what she almost always did, roll her eyes and snap at people when she got annoyed.

'You are welcome to stay here as long as you want' Susan said, stepping aside to let Santana inside.  
'Thank you mrs Smith' Santana smiled at the older woman as she passed her in the doorway.  
'Please, call me Susan. Mrs Smith was my mother' the woman chuckled.  
'I'll leave you in the hands of mrs Smith here then' Father Joe said and bid the two women goodbye as he continued on his journey down the street.

Santana entered the door and was met by a pair of hazel eyes. She smiled at them, and they smiled right back.  
'Hi there, what's your name?' she asked with a calm voice.  
On a small bench sat a girl that could be no more than five or six years old. The little girl was blond with delicate features, and Santana could tell that the little girl would become a breaker of hearts once she was old enough.  
'This would be Alexandra' Susan introduced her. 'She's my youngest daughter.'  
'Ah, I can see that' Santana smiled. 'And how old might such a pretty little girl be?'  
The little girl held up her hand and showing off all her fingers on it.  
'Five years? You're a big girl then' Santana smiled. 'My name is Santana. It's a pleasure to meet you Alexandra.'  
The little girl looked up into Santana's face quickly before hiding her face in her mothers neck.  
'She's a little shy around newcomers' Susan said, smiling. 'This Alex, is doctor Lopez. She's going to be our new doctor in town.' The little girl peaked out as her mother spoke.  
'But you'we a woman' the little girl managed to pipe out before hiding in her mother's neck again. Santana smiled at the little girl.  
'Yes, I am, but I am a real doctor' she said.  
Susan smiled as her daughter interacted with the foreign woman.  
'Be sure to be really nice to doctor Lopez, Alex. We wouldn't want her to leave now would we?'  
The little girl shook her head at her mother's words.

_A/N Please feel free to leave a review. It helps me write. Seriously. No flames please. Constructive criticism is welcome though._


	3. Chapter 3 - Flashback (Brittany)

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except the original characters and my own twist to the story. **

Chapter 3.

_Five years earlier_

The little family was looking broken down as they made their way from their house. Two blondes and a brunette had been more or less thrown out of their own home and forced to leave.  
'Leave, and never come back' the harsh voice behind them was heard. 'You are sick and disgusting and should be executed.'  
The three people were walking, as fast as they could so noone could do what they threatened to do. They didn't want to leave their home, the only house the two blondes had ever known. The brunette was used to this kind of talk. The scared and afraid people. She knew that was what it was all about. She knew that what she was was scaring people. Especially people who didn't know her or wasn't in the same situation as she was.

She sighed as she grabbed the hands of the two blondes and walked between them as she led them away. The only place she knew about where people might accept them, was this little place called Lima in Ohio. It had a reputation of being a small town that accepted just about anyone.  
It was getting darker and they needed somewhere to sleep. They had been walking for hours, and their feet was starting to hurt and they were hungry. They hadn't been able to bring anything with them from the house, except the clothes they wore.  
'Brittany it will be okay, it will be fine' the brunette said to one of the blondes.  
'But how can it be okay to be .. this?' Brittany asked with tears starting to well up in her crystal blue eyes.  
'Britt ..' the brunette said as she turned to the blonde woman next to her, letting go of the other blondes hand to wrap her arms around her.  
Brittany wrapped her arms around the brunette in a tight hug as she started crying.  
The brunette soothingly rubbed her hands over Brittany's back while cooing soothingly and comfortingly.  
The other blonde silentely stood beside them, placing a hand on Brittany's shoulder and looked at them with sad, blue eyes. Brittany let go of the brunette and turned around and clutched to the blonde.

'Sam ..' she cried. 'What are we gonna do? Where are we gonna go?'  
'I don't know Britt' Sam replied, 'but we have to trust in the Almighty to show us the way. I also think we should listen to Maria.' Sam made a motion with his head towards the brunette.  
Sam was a man of faith, while Maria had a hard time to believe in anything and Brittany was torn in between.

'How can I when it's His doing we are not in our home anymore?' Brittany suddenly got very angry, untangling herself from Sam hitting his chest. 'How can I? Please tell me Sam? I don't think even you knows what to do right now.'

'Brittany' Maria's voice was soothing still but a little more firm. 'Don't hit Sam. It's not his fault that we are not in the house anymore. It's not his, or his God's fault. This is the doing of man. It's from fear.'

Sam just stands there, letting Brittany hit him. He knows she doesn't really mean it, she's just upset by what has happened. He was really upset too, and he still is wondering how they all found out about them. Someone must've seen something and told the reverend and the town leaders. Finally he just embraces Brittany, pinning her arms to her sides as he's doing so, efficientally stopping her from hitting him she starts crying even more violently this time. Sam rubs his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort and soothe her while Maria stands next to the two blondes and has her hand comfortingly placed on Brittany's shoulder.

The trio settled down for the night near a creek. Sam managed to make a fire, and with some luck he even managed to catch some fish with practically nothing but his bare hands.

The girls were seated by the fire, Maria was still trying to soothe and comfort Brittany. Sam's heart ached for the two women, one his sister and the other as close as a sister as she could be without being blood to him. The two women were together and Sam was one of very, very few in their life that didn't care about them both being women. Actually he was the only one so far, at least that Brittany knew that didn't care.

As the night grew closer and the darkness surrounded them like a soothing blanket, Sam told the girls to go to sleep. He would be keeping watch. He smiled as his eyes locked with Maria's for a second as she was trying to get Brittany to lay down and go to sleep. Maria smiled back at him, knowing he was a good man that honestly loved them both like sisters. He wasn't playing with her, or pretending to accept her as she was. He did accept her just the way she was, simply because she was with Brittany. No, not only that. Because she loved Brittany. If she could, she would marry her. She really wanted to marry the blonde and live happily ever after, but she was far too realistic to know that would never happen. She loved everything about the blonde girl. Everything. From the way she was to her personality to her looks and to her way with people. She was a natural and loved talking to people, and people usually loved her. At least until they found out. Maria hated that people didn't acknowledge two people of the same gender as couples. Why was it so wrong? In her eyes there wasn't anything wrong with it. It was as natural as breathing. Something she did without thinking about it, but she has also learned not to take anything in life for granted.

Sam sat watching the fire as the night grew even darker. Luckily it was summer, so it wasn't dark for very long, and the nights weren't that cold. Since they hadn't any warm clothes, he was thankful for the fact that it was indeed summer. He loved both girls dearly and he would do anything to keep them safe, literally he would. They were all he had. His and Brittany's parents had been sick with the flu last winter and hadn't made it. Maria's parents, he knew nothing about. He only knew that they were dead as well. That didn't matter to him now though. The two girls was his family, and he would protect them the best way he knew how.

_A month later_

They had been travelling by foot for what seemed like months but it was really just weeks, until they arrived at this little town called Lima in Ohio. They literally walked into town looking very dirty and ragged, with no money and barely clothes on their bodies.  
Sam's and Brittany's hair that once was golden blonde, was now almost brownish out of dirt and not being able to wash it properly for weeks.  
All three looked very dirty and in desperate need of a bath and wash, Sam also needed to shave as he hadn't done that for weeks. Not since that day.

The trio walked towards what looked like the town church and hoped to gain some help from there. As they walked through town, they noticed alot of people around, but somehow not a single one of them were staring at the trio. It was as if they were invisible, but Maria somehow knew it was because they accepted anyone, no matter who they were or what they looked like, or who they liked.  
All three had agreed that once they got to town, they would locate the church. Even if Sam was the only one still with any real faith, the two girls admitted that it was the most logical thing to do at this time. Maybe they could at least get something to eat and somewhere to sleep for the night.  
They crossed the main street and crossed the small wooden bridge that led them across a small creek and towards the church that was resting on a small hill in a big meadow a short distance from the main town. Just outside they found a man with long hair that looked odd, and he was wearing black clothes with a white collar, making him stand out. They understood he was the priest of the town and walked towards him. The man was working on the church, mending some things and painting as well as looking after the flowerbeds around the church's walls.

'Excuse me' Sam spoke out as he stood protective in front of the two girls.  
The black clothed man didn't hear him first.  
'Excuse me?' Sam spoke a little louder, and this time the man heard him.  
'Oh hello. I'm sorry I didn't hear you' the man spoke in a soft voice.  
'Are you the priest of this town?' Sam asked in a somewhat hoarse voice. He was thirsty, and hadn't had anything to drink for a while.  
'Yes, I am Father Joseph, or Father Joe for short. What can I do for you?'  
'I was .. _we _were wondering if ..' Sam trailed off. He hated really to ask anyone for help, even if it was from the church.  
Father Joe looked at Sam first and then his eyes travelled to the two girls behind him. All three looked like they could use a bath and something to eat. He felt sorry for them.  
'Can I buy you something to eat?' he asked finally. He figured that was what they were looking for but didn't want to ask for. 'It would be my pleasure to buy you some lunch.'  
'I .. we .. thank you' Sam finally sighed. He hated it but he swallowed his pride because he knew Brittany and Maria needed something to eat. He himself could use something, as well as something cold to drink.

_Three years later_

As she passed the barber shop, she saw the blonde man stand just outside the entrance, sweeping the front boardwalk in front of the barber shop. Brittany waved at him and he waved back with a smile. She loved her brother and was so proud of him. He had gotten a chance to learn the barber profession from the previous owner of the shop, John Adams, before he passeed away about a year ago. Now, it was Sam that was the barber of the town. Everyone went there to get a hair cut or a shave everyday and the shop was quite busy.

Brittany continued down the street, passing the grocery shop, the towns paper and the saloon. She waved at Sugar that was seated just outside the saloon together with Kitty and Tina. The three women were working in the saloon as working girls, but had become friends to Brittany and they enjoyed each other's company.

It was getting late in the day as Brittany walked down the street and towards the path she used to go home to the house she shared with Sam and Maria. Sam slept in the barn while the two women inhabited the house and slept there. He only went inside during the day. Sam had managed to find work, besides learning the trade of shaving and cutting hair, so he could buy some land and build a homestead for the two women and himself, which included a house and a barn. He was proud of himself for being able to do that. Brittany was also very proud of him, as was Maria. Sam had given so much effort into making sure Maria was feeling like he was a brother to her too, she couldn't help but loving him for it.

As Brittany closed in on their little home, she noticed something was off. It was far too quiet. No birds, no sounds from nature. Nothing. It was dead silent. She started to feel scared and hurried towards home. As she closed in on the house, she noticed nothing at first, but then right by the barn, she saw something on the ground. A body. A human body.

**A/N Thank you so much to those of you that have reviewed. You keep me going with your sweet words. I hope this chapter isn't too jumpy, but it does leap a little bit in time. By the way, sorry about the cliffhanger (not really, well maybe a little). **


	4. Chapter 4 - Flashback (Brittany II)

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my twist to this story. I don't own Glee or its characters. If I did, all we'd get was Brittana. **

_It was far too quiet. No birds, no sounds from nature. Nothing. It was dead silent. She started to feel scared and hurried towards home. As she closed in on the house, she noticed nothing at first, but then right by the barn, she saw something on the ground. A body. A human body._ A darkhaired, latina looking body. Maria. Brittany froze for a few seconds before rushing towards the barn and Maria as her tears started falling. As she got closer, she could start to smell blood. The thick, heavy scent filled the air and as she got closer she saw that Maria's body was more or less shred to pieces. It looked like the work of a bear. A big bear, a grizzly bear perhaps. Though she had heard no news about such a bear in these parts before. She knew that Maria was beyond help. She was already dead and gone. Brittany knelt down by the body, but there was nothing that could really be done. She cried heavier, her sobs echoed through the homestead. She glanced inside the barn and she saw their cow was dead too. This could not be happening. First they loose their home because of Maria and Brittany's relationship, and then she loose Maria herself.

It got darker and she knew Sam would be home soon, but she needed him right now and something needed to be done with Maria. She couldn't lay there, Brittany knew the blood would attract the animals around the homestead, and maybe more bears and even wolves or mountain lions would come and she couldn't let that happen. She got to her feet and started running towards town. She met Sam halfway and just fell into his arms, crying so hard she could hardly breathe.

'Brittany?' Sam questioned confused but hurriedly wrapped his arms around her body in comfort and supporting her body to stay upright. 'Britt, what's happened?' he tried asking, but Brittany just cried harder and was beginning to choke on her own tears. 'Sssh, it's gonna be okay Britt' Sam tried comforting her, as he soothingly rubbed his arms up and down her back, while occasionally pressing a kiss to her tearstained cheeks.  
'We .. we need to bury her, before they get to her' Brittany managed to choke out between sobs.  
'Bury? Bury who?' Sam asked, not knowing what was going on but was getting a really worrying feeling, considering Brittany's cries.  
'M-Maria' she managed to choke out.

_Two months later_

Brittany was once again out in the wilderness, walking and thinking. She was still mourning the death of Maria, her love. She missed her, she missed her touch, her scent, the feel of her lips as they kissed. The way she woke up next to her every morning, either spooning her from behind or being spooned from behind, arms wrapped around her waist protectively. The way they made love almost every night. Even the way they fought she missed, because they would hardly ever fight and if they did they made up pretty fast, either with a hug, a kiss or making love. Sam was hardly ever there anymore, as he had started seeing Kitty, the working girl, and if he was there, it was usually only for breakfast, supper and to sleep in the barn.

Brittany sat down by a creek in the woods, where she usually went to think and to watch nature happen around her. She quickly made friends with some rabbits, and deers as well some racoons although she was very careful with those as she's heard about rabies was common among racoons. She also made friends with some birds. At one point she also had an encounter with a female, white wolf. The encounter lasted only for a minute, but Brittany sat still watching the wolf as she watched her before walking towards the creek, drinking a little before taking off.

As she sat by the creek, a noise was heard. A whining noise. It sounded like an animal that was trapped or hurt. She stood up to go search for whatever it was. Suddenly, there was the white wolf she had seen at an earlier time. The wolf stood absolutely still, watching her, before she ran away, limping. The whining was still there though and Brittany wondered if the wolf had somehow been interrupted in her feeding and left its prey to die alone and in pain.

She went behind some shrubs and on the ground she saw a baby wolf. A pup. It looked like it was pretty much newborn, and if left it would become prey to other predators around here.

Brittany carefully looked around, but no wolf or other animals were in sight, nor could she hear anything. She carefully picked the pup up, cradling it in her arms as she tried to give it warmth and then she went home to feed it some warm milk.

The next few months were about the solid black wolf pup. She took care of it, made sure it was healthy and as it grew, so did Brittany's yearning to get back out in the wild again. The pup, that Brittany saw was male, followed her where ever she went. It really only allowed Brittany to pet it and take care of it. It tolerated Sam, and allowed him to feed it, and occasionally it also accepted a pet on the head from Sam, but that was about it.

Sam kept his distance from the wolf. He knew Brittany had a way with animals, but this was a wolf after all and really belonged in the wild but there was something about this wolf. He behaved more like a dog, especially around Brittany. He hated being tied up though so Brittany never even put a collar on him.

Brittany and the wolf moved around the wild, and sometimes ventured into town where people were alarmed first but soon learned that the black wolf was not to be feared, especially if Brittany was around.

Brittany grew to love Pup. She still called him that as she hadn't named him. He was a wild animal, and should he want to return to the wild he was always free to do so. That was why she never named him. She only called him 'Pup' or 'Wolf'. That was it. She was never afraid or lonely when Pup was around. He was her company and fearless protector and would do literally anything to keep her safe. Sam was never afraid to leave Brittany alone while he had to work or when he spent time with Kitty, if the wolf was there.

_9 months later_

Brittany was walking in the woods as she usually did, Wolf was with her. Now that he was almost an adult, she decided to quit calling him Pup and just go with Wolf. He followed her blindly like a shadow, a fearless protector.

Brittany was nowadays friends with the local native American tribe that lived around these parts, the so called Shawnee tribe. Her and Wolf was a regular sight to behold in the indian village. Sam was a bit scared for her being there but he trusted Wolf to protect her, and he had no bad experiences with the indians himself, but he had heard so many stories and with the soldiers around these parts hunting down indians that misbehaved, he was scared that his sister would somehow wound up in the middle of a gunfight or something.

The Shawnee tribe had accepted her as one of their own, and had taught her everything she needed to know about how to survive in the wilderness. How to hunt, track, skin and find water. She was a fast learner and had quickly befriended the tribe. They were all fond of the blonde, white woman with the black wolf.

One day she was out walking in the woods with an indian girl she had befriended, wolf walked by her side like always.  
The indian girl, named Snow Song, was about the same age as Brittany was and the two girls got to know each other quickly, teaching each other about the ways of the red and white man, and even each other's languages. After getting to know each other during the past months, Brittany had found the courage to tell Snow Song about Maria and the true nature of their relationship. The indian girl just listened, nodded in the proper places.  
'Maria was my everything. I loved her so much and I miss her like crazy' Brittany ended her story, tears forming in her eyes. 'You're not saying much about it. Is it weird that I love another girl like that?' she asks after a few moments of silence.

The indian girl just smiled and shook her head.

'No, not at all. You are what we in the indian nation call a Two-Spirit. You love someone of the same gender as you, to us that is not wrong. To us that is what happens when two people love each other. We regard them highly in the tribe.'  
The girl continued to smile as she explained, and Brittany listened intently with wide eyes as the explanation went on.

Snow Song and Brittany walked the trails through the forests, day in and day out, talking about everything and anything. The girls laughed together and cried together. They very rarely had a fight or argument over anything, and if Sam didn't know any better he would think that Snow Song had started taking Maria's place when it came to loving Brittany as more than a friend or a family member.  
He knew though that the girls were merely very good friends and 'sisters' in spirit. Sam had been spending more and more time with Kitty, and found himself falling for her completely.

One day when Sam was about to go visit Kitty at her home, he came across a blonde woman. A blonde woman that wasn't his sister, or Kitty. This blonde was pretty, not like his sister or Kitty weren't pretty because they were, very pretty. Beautiful even. But this blond was something else. She was beautiful too but she brought with her an air of refinement or regality with her. She was Kitty's older sister, and her name was Quinn. The two sisters were quite different, but yet the same. They were both blonde and beautiful, but where Kitty was direct and sometimes plain mean, Quinn was more laidback and sometimes more subtle than her sister could ever be.

Sam and Quinn greeted each other as Kitty introduced them to each other, explaining to Sam that Quinn was living with her at the moment. Her husband had been killed in a hunting accident, and now she was here to get away from the memories and people back where they had been living.

Sam thought that maybe Brittany and Quinn could become friends, and made a mental note on introducing them to each other. Brittany had always had a way of making people feel better about themselves. She put them before herself most of the time, making them feel special. Maybe she could help Quinn get over the memories of her late husband, or at least feel better about it. He could tell Quinn was still upset and sad about it even though it had been some months since it happened, and he just knew Brittany would be able to help.

A few weeks later he had invited Kitty and Quinn over to the homestead. He wanted Brittany and Quinn to become friends so Brittany wouldn't be alone with only the wolf and the indians. She needed some other friends as well, and Quinn needed someone to confide in that wasn't her sister. Sometimes a stranger was more welcome to talk to than a friend or a loved one, or a family member.

The dinner went great, and Quinn was starting to talk a little bit more. Brittany was a great listener and soon Quinn was talking pretty much non-stop to her and to Kitty and Sam. Kitty just stared wide-eyed at her sister and Brittany. She didn't know this about Brittany, that she could make anyone open up like that, least of all Quinn. She knew she was a great friend and listener, Kitty herself had opened up to her more than once about her life and work and feelings, and about Sam. But Quinn was Quinn, she was quiet and usually bottled everything up until it exploded in someone's face.

As the evening went on, Quinn got even more talkative. Sam and Kitty went outside to chat for a bit before she would leave for home together with Quinn.

Quinn and Brittany stayed inside, and continued talking. Brittany listened intently to what Quinn was saying, making her feel special and important. Never once did Quinn feel minimized or unimportant. She was amazed by this blonde woman that listened to her. She wasn't used to that.

Brittany sometimes, approprietly, gently touched Quinn's hand or forearm with her hand when Quinn would get a little emotional and immediately she felt a little bit better as the tingly sensation in her hand or arm would increase with every second Brittany's hand was on it. As soon as she removed her hand, it was gone again. What was this?

'How'd it happen?' Brittany asked gently, not wanting to impose too much, but Quinn had been opening up to her for the past few hours and she wanted to be a good friend to her. She liked Quinn, alot actually. Her hand felt all tingly when she had it on Quinn's hand or arm, and as soon as she removed it, the sensation was gone.

'He was out hunting with some friends' Quinn said, feeling her eyes starting to well up again. She swallowed hard a few times, willing herself not to cry in front of Brittany. 'He was alone at some point, and during that short amount of time, he was attacked by a bear. His friends heard shots ring out but by the time they got to him, the bear had killed him and ... torn him to pieces.' The last part was incredibly hard for her to say and tears started flowing again as they had been for the past months since it happened.

Brittany immediately stood up and wrapped her arms around Quinn, pulling her closer to try and comfort and soothe her by running her hand up and down her back.

After a few minutes, Quinn started to calm down but Brittany didn't unwrap herself from her. She continued to soothingly run her hand up and down Quinn's back.

Quinn didn't say anything. She was basking in the comfort Brittany so easily gave. She barely knew the woman, and yet here they were.

Brittany slowly unwrapped her arms and sat down again in her seat, unsure of what to say next. She didn't want to scare Quinn off. She hoped she hadn't.

'I'm so sorry you had to loose him like that' Brittany stated in a soft voice.

'Thank you' Quinn replied, equally soft. She started feeling a little confused about Brittany.

'Okay girls' Sam entered the house with Kitty. 'I'm going to walk these lovely ladies home, I'll be back soon. Okay Britt?' He turned to his sister.

Brittany nodded and rose to her feet. Quinn rose too and together with Sam and Kitty she put on her coat to walk home. It wasn't that long of a walk.

'Protect her Wolf' Sam told the black male wolf that had been laying by the fire all night. The wolf rose its head to look at Sam but then lowered it again while grunting quietly. Sam took that as a yes.

_A/N Sorry if this is again too jumpy in time. I hope you like it anyway. Please leave me a review if you find the time. _


	5. Chapter 5 - First Meetings

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Glee or its characters, I do not own the original idea to this story, but I do own the original characters and the twist to this story idea. **

Chapter 5.

_1945 _

_'You didn't think my story would end there, did you? Because it's not the end. In fact it's just the beginning. I'm just trying to build it up here for you. We are still at the very beginning of this story. There will be a couple more flashbacks to tell Brittany's story, but for now .. I want to tell you my story. Well parts of it anyway.' *coughs* 'Oh forgive me, my old throat is not used to telling these long stories. I shall just drink a glass of water and then I shall continue.'_

February 1886

A little later that evening Santana was seated in the small dining room of the small hotel. She was alone at the moment and was enjoying the peace and quiet. It was unusual for her. She usually could hear more noises outside. Horsedrawn carriages making a noises as they rolled by their house. The newspaper boys shouting out todays news.

Here the only noise she could hear was that of Susan in the kitchen, and the gentleman at the other table turning pages of his newspaper, and the occasional horse walking or trotting by. It was quiet, and she loved it. She closed her eyes for just a second to enhance the peace and quiet she felt at that moment. It felt good. It felt really good.

She finished her dinner and got up to her room to unpack a little and to start her nightly routine. As soon as she was done, and dressed in her nightgown and robe, she sat down in a chair next to the window in her room. The window was open slightly to let in the cool night air. She took a deep breath and started reading. For once, it was not a medical book she read, it was a novel, fiction. Something that was made up by someones imagination.

A small distance down the street she could hear the men shouting and cheering as they were playing poker or drinking in the saloon, she had learned the owner of the saloon was a man named Puck. Or at least everyone called him that. She guessed it was a shortening of his last name, Puckerman. She had yet to meet him, or any of the townfolks really. The only ones she had met so far was Father Joe, Rory and Susan and her youngest daugher. It was Susan who had told her a little bit about the townfolks, their names and who was married or together with who.

Finally she managed to shut out the sounds and went back to her book.

Next morning she got herself ready and descended the stairs to enter the diningroom for breakfast. Today she was going out to meet the people of the town and try to get to know them a little and see if she could find a place for her practice to be located. She wanted her own clinic. She also needed a house or her own place to stay somewhere. She couldn't afford to pay this much in rent over an extended period of time. She loved the small hotel, it was cozy and had a really comfortable, relaxing atmosphere about it but she realised she couldn't afford it in the long run.

Breakfast was hearty and delicious and enough to make her last for a while. She wiped her mouth with her napkin, and got out of her chair and up to her room to fetch some things she needed before heading outside.

After getting the things she needed, she went outside and stopped just outside the door, on the boardwalk. The city was waking up with the sun. It was quite grand to see actually. The sun was rising beyond the hills and all the stores was opening up for the day. The hustle and bustle of the day was starting and soon it was as if the previous night never happened. Horses were walking or trotting by, reins held by their riders, mostly men with cowboyhats, politely touching the brim while passing her on the boardwalk. Men, women and children were walking on the street and on the boardwalks, entering and exiting shops. Santana could see many children start to get together over by the church. She had heard Susan mention the church was also serving as a schoolhouse until they could afford to build a real schoolhouse.

She slowly walked the boardwalks, getting acquainted with where the shops were located, where the street parted and where the barbershop was located and where the convenience store was located. She learned the town had no newspaper, at least not yet. They also hadn't any railway yet which would make the time to get medicine supplies longer. She would have to plan that months ahead and hope that no epidemics would break out, and lessen her supplies faster than she had anticipated.

She passed the saloon, the working girls was nowhere to be seen. They were probably sleeping. Santana was no fool, she knew what they were doing for a living even if she had no experience in it herself. She was also sure she would get them as patients one of these days too, once her practice was opened.

She rounded a corner and saw a black doglike shape a little further up the street next to a figure in deer skin clothes. A figure with blond hair. She knew that figure. It was the same figure she had seen at the cemetary when she first arrived. A thin figure that .. looked like a woman? Santana shook her head. That couldn't be right. A woman with a big, black dog and dressed in animal skin? What was she? An indian? But indians didn't have blond hair, and they were not allowed into town, at least that's what she read and heard.

The figure pet the head of the big, black dog before looking up and saw Santana staring at them. They turned around and hurried off the street and towards the forest on the other side of the church. Santana got confused, but decided to let it go. She was on a mission to get to know this town inside and out. The heart of the town was the church, the flesh was the buildings, but it's blood was the people. You can't have flesh or a heart without the blood to run them. She had gotten to know the flesh pretty good by now. Now it was time for the blood. She'd take care of the heart later, though the heart and the blood was pretty much the same here.

She entered the convenience store that held pretty much everything you needed, food, clothes, fabrics to make your own clothes, wood, nails, tools, literally everything you needed. It was one big room when you entered. In the back she could spot a staircase, which probably led upstairs to the living quarters of the owners. The owners were Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson, Santana had learned from Susan the previous day. Rachel and Finn were engaged to be married, but had yet to tie the knot.

'How can I help you miss?' she heard a voice behind her.

She turned around and was met by brunette hair, a nose out of this world and brown eyes. She almost jumped because of the closeness.

'Um, I'm Santana Lopez and I'm the new doctor in town' she introduced herself. 'I just thought I'd walk around and familiarise myself with the town as I just arrived yesterday.'

'Oh how lovely to meet you, I heard from Father Joseph that we would be getting a doctor, what a surprise to see it's a woman doctor' the brunette woman talked and ranted on and on about how wonderful it was to see a doctor and a woman doctor at that.

'Forgive my fiancée for talking and not introducing herself' Santana heard a man's voice entering the room. She turned her head slightly and spotted him. He was tall, very tall, and kind of looked like a .. giant baby, but with a days shade. He hadn't yet had time to get himself to the barber for the day.

'Forgive me for looking like this, I haven't had time to go to the barber this morning. I have to go very soon. Allow me to introduce us. I am Finn Hudson, and this is my fiancée Rachel. Rachel Berry.'

'Nice to meet you mr Hudson, ms Berry. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around the town, but now I'm afraid I'm going to have to run. I have plenty of more people to meet and get to know.'

'Anytime' Rachel said. 'I'd love to hear more about what it's like being a doctor.'

Finn just shook his head behind Rachel, smirking at his fiancée's poor attempt in finding a new friend, he also knew that if Santana for some reason would come back and talk to Rachel about being a doctor, it would be Rachel talking and not Santana. He still loved her even if she most of the times didn't know when to be quiet.

Santana continued her quest on getting to know the towns people. Next stop was the barber shop. As she entered the shop, she could tell the crowd was slowly starting to thin out as the men exited, all of them politely touched the brim of their hats as they walked past her. She smiled and nodded a small greeting back to them.

'I'll be right with you' she heard a voice say. She figured it belonged to the barber. He was a nicely built young man, perhaps in his early or mid twenties, blond with a little longer hair than she'd expect to see on a barber. He was clean shaven too. That she would expect from a barber. Either that or a well cared for beard.

She stood by the door, watching the customers watching her. She cleared her throat quietly, shifting slightly uncomfortably under the eyes of the men in there. Finally the barber finished with the customer he was shaving at the time she came in.

'Now how may I he-' he started saying as he was wiping his hands on a rag and turned around. He had a surprised look on his face. He certainly did not expect to see a woman in his shop.

'Hello, I'm new in town and I'm getting acquainted with it and its people and I thought I'd come and introduce myself' Santana said to the blond, nice looking barber. He had a friendly face and something told her he was one of very few men that would not look down on her for being a woman doctor, once he knew. 'I'm Santana Lopez, actually I'm _doctor_ Santana Lopez.'

All the men in the shop were dead silent and everyone was just staring at this woman doctor and their barber.

'Oh ... oohh, you're the doctor Lopez, Father Joe's been talking about' the blond barber finally caught his tongue again.

'Yeah, that'd be me. As you can see I am not a man.' She almost laughed at it now.

'Yeah, that I can clearly see' he chuckled. 'Well it's very nice to meet you, and I apologise because I don't want to be rude but as you can see I've got customers. I'm sure I will see you soon again though?'

'Oh, forgive me. Of course you have customers. How silly of me. Yes, I am sure we'll see each other again. And be sure to disinfect that razor of yours. Alcohol would do the best, not just water and soap.' She winked at him as she gave him her advice. He looked up just in time for the wink and smiled at her.

'Thanks for the heads up. I will make a note of that for sure. Oh, and the name is Sam by the way.'

She nodded politely, acknowledging the name, and exited the shop to continue her quest of getting to know the people of the town. So far, so good she thought, even if she did hear the men in the barber shop whisper among themselves as she left. She knew they all would start talking freely with each other as soon as she left. 'Oh well' she thought. 'They can think what they want.'

As she exited the barber shop, she headed towards the church on the other side of a small creek that ran across town. If you crossed it you'd arrive at a great meadow where the church was located as well. She wanted a small break before she continued her quest. As she walked, she suddenly heard someone say 'psst'. She walked past the saloon and just as she walked past the building she heard the 'psst' so much clearer and she looked around. Suddenly she spotted a petite brunette with her head out her window who was clearly looking at her and trying to get her attention. She walked towards the window.

'Hello' she greeted the brunette as she reached her.

'Hello ma'am' the brunette greeted back. 'I'm Sugar.'

'Nice to meet you, I'm doctor Santana Lopez' she introduced herself.

'Yes, nice to meet you too. I know who you are. People have been talking about the new doctor arriving yesterday. I um, I kind of need your doctor skills right now.'

'Oh?' Santana questioned.

'Yeah, can .. can you come inside?' Sugar asked.

'Sure' Santana said, and climbed inside the window, trying to do it as gracefully and ladylike as possible without getting caught by anyone.

'So what can I do for you?' she asked as she stood inside the small room that contained nothing but a bed, a closet and a drawer that doubled as a desk as well.

'I need you to look at something' Sugar said. 'I noticed these this morning and I don't know what they are. I've never had them before.'

She turned around and lifted her shawl and blouse up to reveal her lower back to Santana. Santana discovered some red, small marks as she looked closer. She examined them carefully while asking Sugar a couple of questions.

'Do they itch?'

'Yes.'

'You never had them before?'

'No.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes, well sort of. I can't remember ever having things like these.'

'They're nothing to be scared of. It's mosquito bites.' Santana said, smiling at the brunette, petite girl.

'Mosquito bites? It's not season for mosquito bites, besides' Sugar said in disbelief. '.. I've had mosquito bites before, these are nothing like that.'

'No? Well maybe you're reacting to these a little bit different than you used to then? Just come back to me if you get a fever, or you don't feel well. Also, the wetter the weather, the more mosquitos will come.'

'Thanks' Sugar said, smiling up at the doctor.

'No problem.' Santana said and looked out the window before climbing outside.

'I .. I can't pay you right now' Sugar said.

'Oh no worries, that one is on the house' Santana said and smiled at the smaller girl.

'Thank you' the smaller girl said with a smile.

'Don't mention it' Santana said with a small chuckle. 'It was nice to meet you Sugar, I'm sure I'll see you around town.'

'You will' Sugar said, smiling still as she did a small hand wave.

Santana smiled and mimicked the gesture before heading back down to the street to walk to the meadow to get some sun and just take in the surroundings.

She heard some clanking sounds and decided to go to the blacksmith, she knew she needed a horse to get around these parts. There were people scattered all around town and all of them couldn't make it into town all too often.

She walked towards the clanking noises she assumed was made by the towns blacksmith. She rounded a corner and she knew she had been right. A tall, rather thin man was standing over by the fire and from what she could tell, he was forging a horse shoe by hitting the steel piece against the anvil with a hammer. He was a nice looking man she could tell, a little young to be in the profession she thought but looks could decieve.

'Hello' she greeted the man as she got closer 'I'm doctor Santana Lopez, and I'm new in town.'

'Hello' the man said quietly. 'I'm Jake.' He stopped hitting the horse shoe as he watched her. 'What can I do you for?'

'Well' Santana said, a bit taken back as he didn't seem quite as friendly as the other people in town so far. 'I'm in search of a horse and since you seem to be the blacksmith in town, I thought maybe you have one for sale or rent?'

'I may have a couple for sale, and some for rent.' The man spoke quietly and to the point. 'Would you like to try them out?'

She nodded and followed him as he quietly made his way to the corral he had behind the shop.

He came out with a brown horse already saddled up. It was a bit ragged looking, and it had a white blaze on its face and white socks on its backlegs.

'This is the kindest horse I have' Jake said, this time with some warmth in his voice. He pet the horse's neck. 'It's a nine year old gelding. He'll take good care of you if you wish to have him. He's not for sale but he's for rent.'

Santana nodded and walked up to the horse, petting its nose before examining him. He was sturdy, not big but not too small either. She decided she could easily get up in the saddle on this horse. She put her foot in the stirrup and mounted him, taking the reins in her left hand. She may be a classy lady, but she knew how to ride a horse like a man, with a leg on each side of the horse. She was far from a beginner on the horseback.

'I see you've ridden before miss' Jake said as he silently watched the horse and rider get acquainted with each other.

'Yes, I have' Santana replied as she pet the horse's neck. The horse had accepted her to be in charge. 'He's a nice horse, I'd love to have him, at least for now. Is he broken to drive as well?'

'He is' Jake nodded, this time sounding a bit friendlier. 'His name is Lucky. He'll take good care of you. He's broke to drive yes, he's friendly and obediant as well and he takes really good care of his rider.'

'Perfect' Santana smiled and dismounted the horse, giving him another pet on his neck. 'I'll take him. I need him to stay here though, at least for a while until I find my own place. You don't happen to know anyone who's renting out a room or a house for a cheap buck do you?' She asked him. 'I'm staying at the hotel for now but I want my own place.'

Jake nodded at her statement. 'No, I'm sorry I don't know anything available but I can spread the word?'

'Please do' Santana asked, smiling at the now much nicer sounding young man.

It had been a long day, and she was back at the hotel for supper. She ate like she hadn't seen food for days, Susan almost laughed at her. The two had quickly found each other. Santana was happy that she had met her first friend so quickly, and she was very helpful too. She had too spread out the word that Santana was in search of her own place.

Suddenly the door opened to the dining area and Santana looks up, surprised to see a figure wearing deer skin clothes, a hat and by its side she sees the black doglike shape she had seen before, only it isn't a dog. It's a wolf. Santana gets alarmed as she notices this, but the wolf seems quiet and obediant towards the figure that pets its head before looking up, blue eyes meets brown and for a moment the world stops for Santana.

_A/N I hope you still like this. I enjoy writing it even though it's a slow process. I'm trying to overcome my writers block. Please leave a review. It helps me tremendously.  
__Any grammar mistakes? I'm sorry, English is not my first language. _


	6. Chapter 6 - New living arrangements

First of all, a big thank you to you who have reviewed so far. Also a big thank you to you that have favoritized and are following this story. I love you all.

Second, alot of sadness has been going through our minds since Saturday (or Sunday in many cases). I was overcome with sadness Sunday when I found out. I woke up to the news and I lost all my will to do anything that day. I stayed online and talked to some people on tumblr, on twitter and on facebook. I am not a Cory fan but that doesn't mean I didn't like the guy, I did.

_**RIP Cory. I hope you found your peace and lost your demons. We all had the pleasure to know you for a while. Now it's the angels turns.**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, sadly. If I did it would be all Brittana.**

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Chapter 6.

Santana stands there baffled by the figure in front of her and she doesn't really know what to do or say right now. Those blue eyes were the most mesmerizing she had ever seen in her life.

'You are in need of a place to stay' the figure says in a soft voice, softer than Santana thought was possible, and she can only nod at the sentence, that wasn't really a question as much as it was a statement.

'I have a cabin you can rent, if you want you can come by tomorrow morning and see if you want to rent it.' The voice is tense but soft.

Santana nods again before clearing her throat quietly.

'Y-yes' she says, 'I'll come by tomorrow morning after breakfast if that's alright?'

The blue eyed figure nods that it's fine, and then turns around to leave with the black wolf.

'I live about 2 miles west of town. Just follow the path. You can't miss it' and with that the figure is out the door and gone before Santana can comprehend what just happened.

She sat down again, her head starting to work again. What had just happened? She shook her head to try and clear it but all she saw in front of her was a pair of blue eyes.

Next Day

Santana was riding towards the cabin she had been directed towards. Lucky was a smooth ride, and did what Jake said. He took really good care of her and never spooked, not even when an animal suddenly made a startling sound next to them. Santana didn't know what kind of animal it was, but it couldn't have been some sort of predator she reasoned, Lucky was far too calm for it to have been that.

She was thinking about those blue eyes again. As soon as those blue eyes locked with hers, she felt a funny feeling inside her, something she had never felt before. She wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't unpleasant and she kind of wanted to have that feeling again.

She arrived at the cabin safe and sound with Lucky and she halted him out in the yard. She looked around but no sight or sound of a living thing. Where was that strange, blue eyed woman?

She dismounted Lucky, and stood by his head, holding his reins and petting his neck and softly stroke his nose until she heard a sound behind her. She turned her head and spotted a feminine figure followed by a black doglike shadow. It was her and her wolf.

Santana gasped in surprise and a little bit in fear for the wolf. Lucky stood still, but you could tell he was not comfortable with the presence of the black wolf at the moment.

'You came' the blue eyed woman expressed, almost in shock.

'Of course, I said I needed a place to rent and you offered, why wouldn't I come?'

'Just most wouldn't ..' the woman spoke quietly.

Santana wondered what she meant, but chose to shake it off.

'So .. you have a cabin to rent out. Can I see inside?'

'Oh of course. Follow me. You can tie Lucky up over there' she pointed at a fence post with a metal ring in it.

Santana did as she was told, but halted her steps when the thought came to her.

'How'd you know his name?' she asked as she turned around.

'I broke him in' the figure shrugged.

'You .. what? I learn things about you yet I've still to learn your name.'

'Oh, didn't I already give you that? Guess I didn't. It's Pierce, Brittany Pierce.'

'Santana Lopez' Santana introduced herself.

'Oh I know your name' Brittany said and turned around walking inside the cabin.

Santana shook her head at the rudeness of the gesture. Had she done the same back home, she would've gotten an earful.

She tied Lucky up at the spot suggested, and followed the woman inside the cabin.

It wasn't that big, but it was big enough. You entered into the main area of the cabin, which served as both kitchen, living room and dining room. Behind the stove was a small area that was the bedroom, which consisted of a big bed with a dresser next to it.

The dining part of the room consisted of a table which had room for six people and benches around it. Then by the fireplace located at the other end of the cabin there was the a lounge chair with a foot stool. Around the entire cabin was cupboards scattered which probably consisted of plates and silverware and glasses and necessary things.

The entire cabin was dusty though and there were cobwebs here and there, as if noone had lived there for years.

'Sorry for the dust and stuff' the blond said. 'I've not really been living here for some time now.' She shrugs as if she doesn't care what the place looks like.

'Nothing that can't be fixed' Santana said as she was walking around the cabin. 'I'll take it. How much do you want in rent?'

'I don't really want anything' Brittany said quietly.

'What? Nothing? You .. I can't accept that' Santana said, almost stuttering. 'I have to pay you something.'

'Okay. How about ... fifty cents a month?' Brittany said. 'And I'll make sure to fix anything you need to be fixed?'

'That's too little' Santana said. 'Fifty cents a month is too little for that. I'll pay you a dollar at least a month.'

'Okay' Brittany just shrugs, like she doesn't care.

_A couple of weeks later_

It's a beautiful morning when Santana rides into town. The weather is finally getting warmer, as it's been very chilly the past few weeks and rainy as well. Now, the sun is shining from a clear blue sky and is finally giving off some warmth. Spring is on the way, and it's noticeable everywhere in nature. She's letting Lucky walk for now, just sitting on his back and taking in the sunlight, the warmer air and the spring scents, watching the birds fly around and listening to them chirp. She's spotting alot of different animals too, mostly grass eaters, but she's seen a mountain lion or two as well as a fox here and there. They were far away luckily as she could feel Lucky tense a little as he smelled the predators, making her take a firmer grip of the reins and press her legs against his sides. She had taken a liking to riding like a man, with one leg on each side of the horse. It made it more easy to control the horse.

She made it uneventful into town, watching people hustle and bustle to and fro in the street, going where ever they were going. She halted Lucky by Jake's blacksmith shop and dismounted. She tied him up knowing that Jake would take care of him until she needed him again.

She walked towards the hotel for breakfast. It was really the only place in town she trusted with food. The day was just starting for the town, and people were starting to come in from their homesteads and farms just outside of it. The stores and businesses were opening.

Suddenly Santana could spot a girl come running towards her from the hotel. It wasn't Alexandra, but Katherine. Katherine was Susan's oldest daughter, and second child. Santana had finally met all of Susan's children just the other day when she had been in the hotel, getting lunch.

First there was James, also known as Jimmy. He was the oldest, fifteen years old and the man of the house. He was quite tall and thin, but Santana could see he was starting to getting rid of the childish teenage body and was turning into a man. He was blond with green eyes.

Second was Katherine, also known as Katie. She was twelve, and starting to rebel a little like most girls do when entering their teenage years. She was blond with blue eyes.

Third was David, or Dave, and he was eight years old. He was an obedient boy who did as he was told, but sometimes his childish self would take over and he would rebel and question everything anyone said.

Last but not least, was Alexandra, or Alex, who was five and blond with hazel eyes. She was really shy, but once she got to know someone she opened up and would chat away like any five year old would, without a care in the world and so full of innocence a child of that age can muster up.

'Slow down Katie' Santana said as the girl would just grab her arm and start pulling her towards the hotel as fast as she could. 'Is there something wrong?' Santana asked as she saw the girl's face. It was tearstreaked. Santana grabbed the girl's hand. 'What's wrong Katie?'

The girl said nothing, she couldn't so she just nodded towards the hotel and managed to get out: 'Mother' before tears started falling again.

Santana was starting to get worried and hurried towards the hotel. Katie was following closely after. They entered the hotel and Katie took lead again, leading Santana to the private parts of the hotel, where they lived.

They entered a room, Susan's bedroom. In the bed laid Susan, looking very pale and weak. She looked like she could have a fever as well, a thin sheet of sweat covered her forhead and face. She just laid there with her eyes closed under the quilt that had been pulled up to her chin, her arms resting on top of it.

'What happened?' Santana asked as she felt Susan's forhead with the back of her hand.

'She was going to empty out the nightly vessels when a rattler got her' James said, his voice covered with concern for his mother. He tried to stay strong for his three younger siblings.

'A rattler?' Santana asked, eyeing the teenage boy.

'A rattlesnake' he clarified as they heard Katie start sobbing.

'James, I want you to take your sisters and brother out of this room right now, and I need you to fetch me some water, clean cloths and Father Joe. Can you do that for me?' Santana's work mode kicked in and she was in her efficient state. The boy nodded and did as he was told.

As she was left alone with Santana, Susan suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight up into Santana's eyes.

'I need you to take care of them for me' she said with a shaky voice. She was feverish and Santana knew she hadn't long left. She had nothing to help her. She just didn't want the kids to see her go like this.

'I don't need to take care of them. You can do it all yourself.' Santana tried to convince the woman in bed that she'd live, even though she knew she wouldn't. Susan knew it too. She could feel it, with every fibre of her being. The venom was taking control and was now speeding rapidly towards her heart and soul, taking over.

'Promise me?!' Susan said with as firm voice as she could muster up. 'Promise me!'

Santana looked her in the eye, and then slowly nodded.

'I promise' she whispered.

Just then Father Joe came in and started praying for Susan, and took her confession and trying to ease her passing as much as possible, while Santana tried to ease her physical pain.

The children were waiting just outside when Susan demanded to see them. Santana nodded and went to get them.

She stood in the doorway, watching with tearfilled eyes the children say goodbye to their mother. Alexandra was the only one not fully understanding what was going on, but she was sad too because her three older siblings were sad.

_A couple of days later_

Santana and the four children were driving towards the cabin Santana rented. In the wagon laid all the belongings the children had, it wasn't much. Basically just clothes. Behind the wagon trotted James's horse. He had his own horse that he had been given by Jacob a couple of years ago on his birthday. James tried to help Jacob whenever he could at his shop. The two were good friends despite the age difference, that really wasn't that much.

They had laid Susan Smith to rest the day before and it was known that she had made Santana promise to take care of her children. Noone had expected that, and to be perfectly honest. Santana had no idea how to take care of children. She couldn't cook. She barely knew how to dust and sweet a house. She didn't know how to do laundry. She almost regretted promising Susan, but she didn't want to break a promise to a now dead woman whom she had befriended instantly. The four children had no choice but it was clear that the two oldest wasn't too happy about it, and the two youngest didn't really understand it.

James was driving with Santana sitting next to him. On the back of the wagon sat the two girls and the youngest boy. Alexandra sat in her older sister's lap while David sat next to them and looked ahead. Everyone was quiet. Nothing was heard except the sounds of nature and trotting hooves followed by the creaking of the wagon.

Finally arriving to the cabin, James stopped the wagon and jumped out down before helping Santana down first and then he went back to lift down his siblings. Santana watched him as he cared for his brother and sisters. It was clear he was a protective soul. David was especially attached to him, while Alexandra was more attached to Katherine. The four siblings stood by the back of the wagon, hugging each other before detaching from each other and then just standing there looking sad and lost. Santana's heart broke for them. She didn't know what it was like to have a loving mother like they had had, but she wasn't going to let them down. She would make sure of that. She'd do anything not to break her promise to Susan. How she would do it, she had no idea but she had to do it.

They entered the cabin that Santana now inhibited. She had cleared her things and tried to tidy up a bit as well as making room for the children's clothes and other things. She had also decided when it came to bed arrangement. The girls would sleep inside the cabin, while the boys would sleep outside in the barn. It was warm enough, at least now that spring had finally come for real and summer was really just a breath away.

'You rent the cabin from Sam and Brittany Pierce?' James asked as he looked around and found that he regonised the place. He hadn't paid much attention on the way but he surely recognised the place as he had been here several times visiting as well as working.

'Yes, from Brittany' Santana answered.

'It's Sam's place too' James replied. 'You know, the barber?'. Santana nodded. She knew Sam yes. She had even treated him once for a cut that had caught a mild infection a couple of weeks ago. He was now fully recovered.

'So the two live together?' Santana asked. She had heard about the two siblings and the tragic loss of their friend Maria a few years back. She had heard it was then that Brittany had started to live with the indians in the territory and befriended them.

'They used to' James replied as he had started to untie his horse from the wagon and untack him before releasing him into a small paddock. 'but ever since they lost Maria, Brittany's not been here much but with the indians. Sam is living in his shop more or less. He's even set up a bed there.'

'Oh really?' Santana said as she helped the children unload their baggage off of the wagon.

'Yeah' James nodded. 'He's in a bad shape too. You can't tell it because he hides it pretty well, but he is. Maria was just his friend but all three were very close.'

'How close?'

'Very close. As in Maria and Brittany were an item close.' James said.

Santana stopped in her tracks.

'What?'

'Yeah. They were.' James nodded like it was nothing. His mother had taught him to be open minded to anything. Even this.

'But .. was that known in town?'

'Yeah, but this town is very open minded and we're all really misfits in this city, which really is a strange island, you know?' James said.

Santana looked at the teenage boy. He was admirable. So open minded, even at his age and so care free about grown up things. He seemed wise beyond his years too. At least when he spoke like this. He carried the girls bags inside the cabin before taking out his own and David's and carried them inside the barn and up to the hayloft where they would be sleeping. He didn't mind sleeping there. He would have suggested it himself. David on the other hand. He was eight, maybe it wasn't so suitable yet but he would let him stay with him for a few nights and see how he coped before he would bring it up to Santana and ask if he maybe could sleep inside the cabin instead as he was still so young.

James loved his younger siblings and was very protective of them. Even now. He trusted Santana, even though she couldn't really hepl his mother. He knew though that being bit by a poisonous snake didn't give much hope of survival, so he didn't blame Santana for anything. He could see she hated that she couldn't help his mother, which made him sad. He liked this woman. She was nice to him and not to mention how nice she was to his siblings. He swore silently to himself that he'd protect her with everything he had if it came to that. She was his family now and family was all he had.

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_A/N Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Tumblr. They're in my profile. Also, feel free to drop a line if you wish. If you do, I'll love you forever. _  
_Sorry if this is a crappy chapter, I do however kind of like it. Wasn't sure if it was a good place to end it though. Let me know if you like it. _

_No flames though please. I'm trying to build my writing confidence back and get my muse back as well. _


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